Forest officials question roadless accusation
Copyright 2000 Associated Press
December 27, 2000
SHERIDAN, Wyo. - U.S. Forest Service officials responded to comments by Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., by saying President Clinton's roadless plan for national forests will not close legally built roads.
During a visit to the Sheridan area last week, Enzi called the term "roadless" an "administrative spin."
"When I pin them down, they're talking about eliminating roads there right now," he said. He accused the Forest Service of wanting to close forests to the public altogether.
Bill Bass, Bighorn National Forest supervisor, said Enzi's staff have not made such dramatic statements to him.
The proposal would ban road construction and reconstruction and only roads that have come into being without approval will be closed, he said.
"We're trying to protect the areas that don't have roads in them, not do away with existing roads. If the road is authorized and people are presently allowed to use it, that road won't be closed," he said.
While Enzi was unavailable for comment, Enzi staff member Flip McConaughey on Wednesday repeated an earlier statement by the senator.
"Although the Forest Service has claimed the proposal does not close existing roads, neither the proposed rule nor the draft (environmental impact statement) states such activities will be precluded," he said.
Earlier in the year, Enzi wrote Forest Chief Michael Dombeck and said the initiative violates the Wilderness Act of 1964 and the Wyoming Wilderness Act of 1984.
Chris Wood, with the Forest Service in Washington, D.C., disagreed that the proposal would violate the acts by effectively designating wilderness areas.
"Only Congress can designate wilderness areas. The roadless initiative has not been and will not be a wilderness proposal," he said.
The Forest Service has held more than 600 public meetings and taken more than 1.5 million comments from the public on the proposed plan, according to Wood.
"Access has been a huge issue," he said. "We have absolutely no intention to close any existing roads."